Ounce of Mercy
by Kotori Kita
Summary: We all know that paradise doesn't exist. The world isn't forgiving. It is cruel, dark, nasty, and merciless. There is no true safe haven, not even for the most angelic people. That is the truth, the rule for everyone. Or is it? Kurapika X OC
1. Prologue

• **Prologue** •

It looked perfect.

Soft pastel green grass, that looked so inviting. Beautiful blue, red, pink, yellow, and purple wildflowers everywhere you turned. It was like a painting, with every speckle of color in the right place.

Birds chirped and whistled and sang. Butterflies fluttered around, dancing in the air with each other. It was serenity, a paradise of its own kind.

But we all know paradise doesn't exist. The world isn't forgiving. It is cruel, dark, nasty, and merciless. There is no true safe haven, not even for the most angelic people.

The birds stopped singing and the butterflies stopped dancing. It was almost like the flowers had wilted instantly and the grass had turned to a pale, horrendous beige.

She saw the shadow emerge from behind her, and then, nothing at all, but the soft, pastel green grass beneath her.

You might be thinking she's dead, but she isn't, no. She's actually just bleeding all over the grass, which, frankly, is ruining the scenery. If you were to stumble open this field and see blood all over the grass, it isn't as appealing. It diverts your attention from everything else.

As you're in that field, the only thing you would be thinking about would be, _My, how did that blood get here?_ and you wouldn't be soaking in the amazing views and such as your mind is occupied. A shame!

However, the girl didn't do anything but pull the knife out of her side and study how the light reflected off of its shiny blade. She looked at it for a while, until she dozed off, exhausted from all the walking she did earlier.

Maybe the world has an ounce of mercy. Just a little.

* * *

**Hopefully you found that interesting! **

**This is based off of Yoshihiro Togashi's ****Hunter X Hunter****, although it does not follow the original storyline. Yep. I own my OCs and such. **

**_Updates will be coming soon!_**


	2. Chapter One

• **Chapter One** •

I lay in that field. Strands of delicate grass tickled my ankles. I moved, wanting to adjust my position, but I only felt the uncomfortable sensation of wet clothes against my body.

I felt around for the weapon. My fingers touched the cold metal surface, and I loosely picked it up.

The blade had a nasty curve, with many teeth. I picked at the dried blood and watched it float down to the ground as it flaked off. Dirt and blood is caked under my nails. My hair, even though it's short as can be, is tangled as well. And then, there's also that huge gash in my right side.

I studied the handle, seeing if it had any inscriptions on it, and it did.

_Takahashi Knife Co._

I had never really heard of that before, but the knife was pretty nice. I reached down and grabbed my bag. It was covered in blood, and it was soggy. So much for reading those books.

I shoved the knife in and threw the bag down next to me. I wasn't in pain, but my body felt incredibly numb and it was an uncomfortable feeling to have when lying down.

My muscles were in need of a good stretch, especially my legs, but I didn't want my wound to start bleeding again.

I'm laying in a pool of blood. I don't know if you've ever done that before, but it isn't fun. Your clothes get wet and it gets in your hair and inside your shoes, and soaked socks are terrible to walk around with.

At this point I have no plan, after getting stabbed. I can't really stand, although I probably need to, so I'll have to stay here until my wound heals. That'll be a damn while.

I was messing with the zipper of my jacket when I heard the grass softly crunching. Have the vultures come already?

"Who's there?"

Oh, it's a person! I shouldn't burden them with my injury, though. What if they're in the middle of an important mission or something? Do humans still do that?

The crunching got closer, and then, I was able to make out a body.

It's a boy, wearing what seems to be a tabard, the color of blue and the hems red. There is white clothing underneath that. He also has bright, blonde shaggy hair, and I can't make out his eyes or shoes. It's nighttime, after all. It's a bit of a miracle that he found me.

"Are you okay?" he frantically asks, rushing towards me. His eyes look black, which is a little freaky, but I pay it no mind. I mean, my eyes are purple, so it would be rude of me to judge. Especially when he is trying to help me.

"Wait, is she dead?"

He looks my body up and down, and his eyes focus on the large gash. I feel a little self conscious, seeing that he in fact is a boy, and it's... weird.

"I'm not dead," I speak, almost inaudible. I haven't talked in a long time, it seems.

"You oughta be, with a cut like that," he says, "Can you stand?"

I give him the look. You know, the, I just got stabbed not even a few hours ago and you ask if I can stand? look. And he just nods thinking he's an idiot. Probably, at least.

"I don't have anything to help you, so you're going to need to get up. I'll take you to this village I'm temporarily staying at."

He looks like he doesn't mind, but I don't want to trouble him.

"It's okay. Go on your way. I'll be fine," I reassure him, with a smile. It's quiet for a few moments, and then, he bursts out laughing!

"Come on, I don't mind. Doesn't it hurt, though?" he finally asks after calming himself down. Hmpf.

I look up at the dark, indigo sky. The stars are everywhere, and the moon is bright and full. If I were alone, I would find all the constellations, but I'm not.

"It stings. But it's bearable. I'm more numb than in pain."

"You're _numb_? That's not good. Take my hand. You need to stand up."

I think about it for a bit, until I finally grab his hand.

"Wait."

"What?"

"I'm going to get blood on you."

"Oh, who cares. It's just clothes."

I groan, and start to move my legs. I wince, as my wound starts to open. I can barely move, but it's enough to stand. I'm in a cold sweat already as well.

When I'm on my feet, he coaxes me to walk, but I immediately stumble. He catches me, with his arms around my waist, which makes me cringe even more, as he's pressing against the gash.

"Just bear with me," he keeps repeating.

"You're crazy if you think I can walk!" I exclaim as he starts to move.

"Hm. You're right. I'm going to carry you."

Oh my god, no. No. That's going to hurt so much.

"You don't have to jump or anything. Just close your eyes and breathe. Ready?"

Despite my begs, I nod and close my eyes. I feel him crouch down, and his hands rest on the back of my legs.

"One."

"Two."

"Three!"

A small scream escapes my lips, including many, _many_ swear words.

"What about my... ugh... bag?"

"Can you reach it?"

My arm hangs over and I barely grasp it, and swing it up and over. It hits him in the face, and I laugh, only to wince more.

"Are you good?" he asks, staring at me.

"Not really."

"Just bear with me."

"You've said that a million times."

He just smiles, and starts walking. I manage to look back at where I was laying. You can see the imprint of my body, and all the blood that coats the grass.

"I'm Kurapika, by the way."

Right. We never introduced ourselves. I sigh, and his grip gets a little tighter.

"Kohaku. Nice to meet ya."

* * *

**I wanted to at least write chapter one before I wouldn't be able to update for a while. Hopefully you're intrigued!**

**Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following! It means a lot!**


	3. Chapter Two

• **Chapter Two** •

Kurapika laid me down on a bed.

"The sheets..." I muttered. He kept saying he didn't care, but I felt so bad. He'll never get the stains out.

He took off his tabard, which was covered with red, and I saw that he had on a white full-body suit. It had minimal staining, but you could still see it.

"You've lost a ton of blood," he starts explaining, "Don't you feel dizzy?"

"Not really," I shrugged. I looked around the small cottage. An average human home. The walls were a faded green color, and not very attractive. The floors were nice mahogany and the room spelled like cinnamon and, very faintly, like blood. Of course.

"Lift your shirt," Kurapika instructed. The cloth had been clinging to my wound for a while, so pulling it off was a struggle. And painful, for that matter.

He studied the cut for a minute, left, and then returned with a warm wet cloth, and another that was dry.

"Bear with me," he said with a smile, and handed me the dry cloth. I nodded, and bit down on it.

He lightly wiped away the blood. I screamed into the cloth. The pain was excruciating. Even though he was trying to be gentle, it felt like the vultures were ripping at my skin.

Kurapika suddenly stepped back. Everything slowed to a stop, and I spit out some of the fuzz that got in my mouth.

"What?"

"It- It's already healing. It's much smaller than it was twenty minutes ago."

"Oh? Really?"

I felt around my skin until I found it.

"It doesn't really... hurt anymore."

"Are you serious?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows. I nodded and sat up.

"Look, it's almost gone..."

The skin closed up, and all that was left was a pink discolored scar. I had a weird internal feeling, but that went away after a few seconds.

Kurapika and I exchanged a few glances. I bit the inside of my cheek, and the metallic copper taste spread over my tongue.

But that disappeared as well.

The silence was unbearable. I don't think I can weasel my way out of this.

I open my mouth to say something, but instead, he leaves the room, without a word. Does that mean he expects me to leave? Or am I supposed to follow him?

Instead I prop myself up on my elbow, and stare at nothing in particular. My hair is matted with blood, and it sticks to my forehead. I sit back and start breathing deeply. I find a loose thread on my shirt to entertain me until Kurapika shortly returns with a teacup and saucer in hand.

"Here you go."

I take a sip of warm green tea. I held the cup tightly, and once it started burning my hands, I carefully placed it on my lap.

"I'm not going to ask anything about... _that_. We all have our secrets," Kurapika suddenly said, shrugging. I just nodded, and crossed my legs. I didn't have anymore excuses not to converse now.

"You mentioned earlier that this was a temporary place. Where are you going after this?" I asked, now placing the teacup on the bedside table. The liquid swirled around.

"Nowhere in particular, I suppose," he answered. His eyes spoke something different, even as black as they were.

"What about you?"

"Same. I'm just learning about the environment."

"I see."

I took more nonchalant sips of tea until it was all gone. A small puddle of faint green coated the bottom, visible against the delicate white glass.

"Would you like to take a bath-"

"Yes!" I quickly replied, "Oh, um... Yes, please. Thank you very much."

"That room over there," Kurapika said, pointing behind him. I slid out of the bed, and struggled to gain balance. He grabbed my arm, quite forcefully, and yanked me to my feet.

I could tell he wasn't too keen on letting me stay with him for the night, now that I was completely fine.

Feeling like a toddler, I took small steps, with Kurapika leading me. After getting adjusted, he let go of me and I made my way to the bath.

"Don't take too long!" he calls after me. The atmosphere had drastically changed.

I run warm water and wait for the tub to fill. I strip the stained clothes off of my body and drop them to the floor. The blood is already dry, so it shouldn't matter.

As soon as I dipped my leg into the water, the blood disperses from my skin and spreads all around. Great. I quickly emerge my whole body in and focus on my hair. I don't want the red to stain my blonde hair, although it probably already has.

After I've scrubbed my sore body, I reluctantly run more water and quickly rinse my hair out. I hope Kurapika doesn't get too angry at me wasting his water.

Once I feel clean enough, I step out and grab a towel. I cringe as I wipe myself down, as I know red is rubbing off as well. I shake my hair out and turn to grab my clothes, until I realize they're drenched in blood and covered in dirt.

I wrap the now pink towel around me, still feeling guilty, and call out Kurapika's name. There is a familiar sensation in the pit of my stomach.

I hear his footsteps coming closer. I throw the towel to the corner and grab another, and wrap that around myself. Hopefully he won't see the other.

I'll have to burn it or something. I feel incredibly guilty.

The door opens a tad, and I see Kurapika's face through the crack. Once he sees it's fine, he opens the door wider.

"What do you want?" he bluntly asks.

"I don't have a change of clothes," I explained. He heavily sighed, obviously annoyed.

He's the one who brought me back to his place, though. I said I didn't want to burden him.

"I don't really have anything for you."

He couldn't even try looking?

"You want me to lounge around completely nude?" I said, my tone a little more snobbier than I had wanted.

His eyes wander to the corner where I tossed the towel. Shoot.

"I'll walk into the village tomorrow and find you something," he hissed through his teeth, "So just keep that towel on for now, okay?"

"What about my other clothes?"

"Trash. You'll never be able to clean those."

Before I could say anything, he shuts the door in my face. Rude much?

"I'll walk into the village tomorrow," I mocked. What a mean guy. Once I get something to wear, I'll surely be on my way.

* * *

**Hey guys! I'm back to updating. I'm feeling much better. School is starting in a week. Eh. But what are you gonna do?**

**Check out Lani0108's new HxH fanfic called Otaku Twins. I'm loving it so far. **

**Well, I'll see you guys next update! Thank you for sticking by me!**


	4. Chapter Three

• **Chapter Three** •

I tucked the towel in at the corner so it was secure and left the bathroom. My palm covered my left eye, not letting any light peek through. Kurapika was sitting in a wooden chair, with his chin rested on his hand.

"Where's my things?" I asked, breaking the silence. His eyes looked up to meet mine, well, the one, and he sighed.

"Over there," he said, pointing.

I peeked around until I found my dirtied and bloodied bag slumped against the bed. I fumbled with the button and reached inside. Soon my fingers felt familiar smooth leather.

I tugged the eyepatch out and ducked down so Kurapika wouldn't see. We all have our secrets, after all.

Once it was tied I stood up, clutching my towel so nothing would be revealed.

Usually my bangs would cover it, but my hair isn't quite dry yet.

"Come sit," Kurapika spoke up. I walked over and sat on the chair next to him. It creaks with every adjust, straining under my body. It must be old.

"Where are you from?" Kurapika bluntly inquires. Is he suspicious of something?

"Definitely not from here, that's for sure," I said, looking out the window, even though it was as dark as Sumiko's soul.

I didn't bother asking about Kurapika, because I didn't really want to know. He didn't say anything either.

"Do you miss the place you came from?" Kurapika asked, plucking a loose strand of hair from his clothes and studying it. He averted all eye contact.

"Not really. Everyone's crazy. I'm only down here for work," I groaned, sitting back in the chair. My hands were still glued to my lap.

He tossed the little hair to the floor and took a pretty deep breath before saying anything else.

"Do you have a family?"

"Sure I do. A mother, father, and three little brothers."

"Don't you miss them?"

I hesitated. Did I miss them?

"Enough, I guess."

"You guess? You _guess_?" he said, raising his voice.

"You _think_ you miss your own family? You're _not sure_ if you miss your family?" he shouted, getting up from his chair. He stood in front of me, dangerously close.

"What if they were dead? What if everyone you knew was dead?"

A smirk was prominent on my face.

"...Good riddance."

He raised his fist and swung.

**•+•+•+•**

I studied his face, struck with shock.

I tightened my grip on his hand.

"You don't know my family. You don't know the people I know. We would all be better off if they were dead," I hissed, letting go.

He didn't say anything for a few minutes. I remained seated, clutching the towel, adjusting the fold.

"...You're right. I don't know. I apologize for my... outrage," he mumbled, pressing his fingers to his temples. He slumped down to the floor.

"Do you have anger issues or something?"

"I suppose you could say that," he chuckled with a weak smile.

"Understandable," I shrugged, "Family issues too?"

"I suppose you could say that as well."

"Just remember that not everyone's family is frolicking through meadows. Hell, if I could kill my family I would. They freakin' suck."

He gave me a look that I couldn't quite read.

"Tell me about them."

"If you insist," I said, sitting up in the chair. It squeaked and strained beneath me.

"Well, we've got Mom and Pops. Everyone respects them, pretty much. I can't see why. They're terrible people," I sighed. Kurapika didn't say anything. Does he actually want to know about my horrible family?

"Then we've got my little brothers. Kira, Kage, and Kurai. There's not much to say about them."

"Surely there's something?"

"They're little demons, for sure."

He smiled at that, and then stared at the maroon floral rug. It was silent for a few minutes. I felt my hair with the tips of my fingers. It was dry enough.

I reached back and fumbled with the tie. The patch dropped to my lap. I combed my bangs with my hands.

Out of the corner of my other eye I saw Kurapika watching me. He sucked in his breath when I made eye contact.

"I'm feeling quite naked if you haven't noticed already."

"I said tomorrow, didn't I?" he suddenly snapped.

"Perv," I muttered, rolling my eyes. His jaw clenched, but his eyes remained soft.

The only noise was the occasional creak of the chair. Moonlight poured through the windows, finally. I inhaled the sweet smell of cinnamon.

"Alright then," Kurapika grunted as he got to his feet. He moved to the bed and pulled off the blood-stained sheets. They billowed onto the floor.

"Sorry about the sheets. They're wasted now."

"Don't worry about it."

"You're annoying. Just let me worry about things," I muttered, scooping up the sheets and taking them to the bathroom.

"You got any bleach, hot-head?"

"Just throw them away!" he yelled, tucking the new sheets under the mattress.

"Screw you, then."

I threw them in the tub where they soaked up the access water.

"I'll be on the sofa if you need me," I said.

"No."

Kurapika plopped onto the sofa and gestured towards the bed.

"Take it. I don't care."

I paused for a moment. Why am I still here, even? I could've left a while ago.

"Nah. I'll take the sofa."

"Sorry, but you're a guest. Take the bed."

"No. That's rude."

"Take the goddamn bed!" he yelled, pounding his fist on the coffee table. The teacups raddled on their saucers.

"Ah... Sorry," Kurapika mumbled, raking his fingers through his hair. I take a moment to reevaluate the situation.

Basically I'm at some guy with anger issues' house in nothing but a towel. Wonderful!

I could sneak out during the night, and just wear my old clothes. They'll be uncomfortable and gritty, but I can find new ones on me own. I don't need to rely on some jerk.

"Please, sleep on the bed. I insist," he said, in a much quieter tone. I'm not sure if he chooses to be nice or whatever. Maybe he's not _so_ bad.

"Fine. Only because you keep insisting. And, because I don't want you breaking anything," I laughed, sliding my fingers across the fresh white fabric.

He nodded, and proceeded to fix up the sofa for sleeping.

"Um... I'm going to take my towel off, and get into the bed. Okay? No peeking!"

"Wouldn't dream of it," he snorted, turning his back to me and propping up his pillow. I took a breath, let the towel fall and slid under the sheets. Success.

"I'm in now. You can look."

I made sure the comforter covered my breasts completely. My stomach stirred as I got over the small adrenaline rush.

"I'll turn off the light, then," Kurapika said, with a small hint of a smile. He made his way to the wall and his finger rested on top of the switch.

"Ready?"

"Sure."

I heard a small click and darkness instantly surrounded me.

"...Goodnight, Kurapika."

"Goodnight... Kohaku."

* * *

**What's up, guys? I'm just chillin' in New York, doin' what I do, livin' life and such. **

**I'm pretty tired, though. It involves a ton of walking. **

**Do you guys mind swearing? Such as, the f-word, in particular? Don't wanna offend anyone, or anything. Sure, it's rated T, but I just want to make sure. Kohaku's got a bit of a... mouth, let's say.**

**Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following! It means a lot!**


	5. Chapter Four

• **Chapter Four** •

I woke up feeling quite dazed. Where was I? Cinnamon filling my nostrils and I immediately knew.

I moved around and felt the towel at the end of my feet. It must've slipped off during my slumber.

I looked to my right and saw a plain navy blue shirt, some denim shorts, and... underwear. Talk about embarrassing.

I reached over and grabbed the clothing, and struggled to get it on under the covers. I don't know where Kurapika is, but I'm not taking chances.

Once dressed, I swung my feet over the side and my feet touched the cold wood. My toes felt fabric, and I looked over my knees. Shoes and socks. I didn't really need the shoes, but the socks are great.

I tugged the socks on and looked around for my boots. I spotted them by the door, with my bag next to them.

There was an unfamiliar satchel next to them both as well.

I tiptoed in my socks to the other side of the room, and picked it up with the very tip of my index finger and thumb. It felt like nothing was in it at all.

I sighed and unzipped it, and shook it out. Inspecting it, I checked all the pockets and felt the leather and it all seemed pretty normal to me.

The doorknob turned and the door swung open.

"Oh. Hello," Kurapika said, stepping past me. He carried nothing as he entered the cottage.

"Yeah... Hi," I mumbled, as I twisted the tips of my short hair in my fingers.

"Guess you found the clothes and all that."

"Well, it was right on the bed, right there."

"Oh, that satchel's for you. Since your other one is... Well, y'know," he trailed off, looking around the room.

"Right... Thanks, I guess. Well, I'll be on my way," I sighed, taking out a few of the undamaged books and putting them into the new satchel.

"On your way? To where?"

"Anywhere. I'm down here for work, remember?"

"What kind of work?"

"Researching."

"Researching what?"

"God, you ask a lot of questions!"

I slipped the strap over my shoulder. The bag landed just on my hip bone.

"Thanks for letting me stay here and sort of... helping me," I said, slightly bowing. Kurapika blankly stared at me, mouth a little open.

"Sure..."

Once the laces to my boots were tied, I stepped out the door and into the world. The cinnamon fragrance was replaced by earthy aromas. The rugged life was dead ahead, and I was ready for it.

Sort of, y'know.

I decided I wouldn't rely on anyone else. I don't think I was completely relying on Kurapika; hell, I actually resented him for the latter half of my stay at his place. Basically, I don't need anyone else's shoulder to cry on. I can find a bucket to weep in myself.

His eyes bored holes in the back of my head, but I pressed on. Where I was going, God only knew.

Today seemed like a calm day. Green trees, many songbirds, and not a cloud in the blue sky. I even spotted a few foxes creeping through the grass.

I walked on a soon to be shaded path. The sun barely shone through the thicket of trees. I wasn't fazed much. It was dark all the time on Neikan.

Soon the path led out to an opening and sat there a small rose bush. Just a small little rose bush in the middle of things. There was a sign next to it.

_City of Children_

Next to that was an arrow pointing to the right. I didn't even see a road. Trees surrounded me, everywhere I turned.

I touched the sloppy engraving etched into the wood. I assumed it was an old sign, since the trees were overgrown and there was no path in the direction it was pointing.

But, oddly enough, the rose bush looked quite well tended to.

I looked around the area of trees, and slid through between them. My body was squished and uncomfortable, and I was getting scratched up. That won't hurt for long.

I was about to give up until I fell onto an old stone road, pretty hard as well.

I got up, made sure the satchel was still with me (which it was), and looked around.

The atmosphere was... creepy. Unsettling, really.

An old worn down house sat beside me. A fountain stood in the middle of the old road, broken long ago.

The paint on the walls of the tavern were maroon and chipped. I picked at it for a few minutes, and figured I would pay a visit to the lonely house. No one else seemed to be around in this City of Children.

The floorboards creaked under the weight of my feet, and I made panicked light steps. Cobwebs decorated the corners. Rats scurried into hiding.

A flight of stairs were in front of me, begging to be stepped on, but I was taking no chances. I would fall through in an instant.

There wasn't much in the room, besides a wooden chair and a rusty birdcage.

"What's a birdcage doing in here?" I whispered to myself, squinting as I looked at it.

"To lock away my sorrows..."

My head snapped around.

Oh, dear.

* * *

**And here we are, I finished!**

**School is starting and I won't be able to update as quickly. I apologize for the inconvenience (haha).**

**New York was fabulous, by the way. **

**Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following! It means a lot!**


	6. Chapter Five

• **Chapter Five** •

"Don't you recognize me, Ko-chan? Don't I look pretty?"

"Akuma..."

"I told you, I changed it! You know I hate that name!"

I looked the little girl up and down.

"Still into lolita, eh, Akemi?"

"Always and forever!"

I rolled my eyes as she twirled around, her bright long blonde hair swinging around. Her pink frilly dress ruffled in all directions.

"What brings you to my home, Ko-chan?" she happily asked, sitting on the chair and crossing her leg over the other.

"Curiosity," I said, "You startled me. I hate it when you do that."

"I love scaring you! The cage is for my new bird, but he died... Not like I care, actually," Akemi smirked, touching the thin rusty metal bars.

"I figured, since you have Katsu-"

"Screw Katsu. I hate her."

"Whatever."

She mumbled something unintelligible, and flipped her hair. I stood awkwardly in front of her.

"...What are you doing down here?"

"I wanted time away from that annoying Kuro, so I inhabited this place, all by myself! Are you prouuuud, Ko-chan?" Akemi smiled.

"That's why the trees were so overgrown..."

"Duh... You've... been away for a while, Ko-chan..."

"Just a few months."

"You never contacted me at all! You're so mean, Ko-chan," she pouted, crossing her arms. That glint of evil in her blue eyes is something I dearly missed.

"Yeah, yeah. I was going to the other day, but I ran into... trouble," I uttered, gripping the strap of the satchel.

"Trouble?"

"With... a human. But it wasn't big or anything."

"What sort of trouble? You know you're supposed to report all encounters with Kuro!"

"Screw Kuro. I hate him."

Akemi smirked again, and sat back in the chair. The atmosphere grew thick.

"Show me this human, Kohaku."

"No. I don't even know where he is."

"Show me him!" she demanded, jumping right in front of me.

"Shut your mouth, Azuma. Raiden would've had you killed if it weren't for me!"

"_You know I hate that name_!" she screamed. The house creaked and cracked and rattled.

"It suits you and you know it," I smirked, turning on my heel. I know she wouldn't let me go without a fight.

Or so I assumed.

"I want to meet this human, please! If... If this human... If he can charm Ko-chan, he _must_ be special!" Akemi croaked in a small voice. I stopped in my tracks.

"He didn't charm me. He's a jerk. You'd end up killing him."

"I won't, I promise!"

I let out a heavy sigh.

"Go back to Neikan, Azuma. And clean up those bodies."

I left the house.

•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•

I left the village. I knew Azuma meant... Actually, I didn't even know what she meant. She's lucky I hate Kuro, or I would've spilled everything to him.

Azuma, or Akemi, as she strongly prefers, is sort of like my little sister. Apparently she looks up to me, but I never figured out why. One day she just runs up to me and screeched, "Ko-chan!" And since then she's been going everywhere I go, including different worlds.

Which she isn't allowed to do, at all. In fact, if she gets caught by Kuro, she's a dead girl. And I mean that literally.

I'm definitely not exposing her to Kurapika. But I was honest when I said I didn't know where he was. For sure he would've already left that temporary cottage, no?

The cool breezes blew my bangs out of my eyes, exposing my eye patch. I then began to wonder why Azuma doesn't hide hers.

I guess it's because she isn't working. She's just illegally roaming around this world and it doesn't matter if anyone sees her. They'll probably think she's just cosplaying. But me, I need to fit in. That's the only way.

My mind wandered to Kurapika. I stared down at my feet, watching them take step after step.

To think, he almost saw me naked, and I don't even know him. My cheek instantly heated up.

I pushed through the thicket and popped out at the opening with the rose bush. I looked up at the sky.

How was it already getting dark?

There wasn't anymore signs to point me to. I wasn't going to admit I was lost.

I walked in circles around the bush and sign. My only option is to go back to the City of Children. I have no idea which way I came.

I groaned as I slid through branches and vines. After a few minutes of struggling I saw the tall worn down tavern again.

I hesitated, but trotted back inside.

Azuma and the birdcage wasn't there, but the chair still was, and that was good enough for me. I sat down and immediate relief filled my body. I'd been walking in circles for a while apparently.

This place was not as 'luxurious' as Kurapika's place. It was dark, scary, and definitely did _not_ smell like cinnamon. The only thing that still puzzles me was why Kurapika suddenly changed when I healed. Was he mad because I ruined his things, and I didn't even need his help in the first place? I didn't even know I would heal so quickly. Freakin' Kuro never tells me anything.

I didn't really care about Kurapika at all. I mean, he was rude, and loud, and picky, and snarky. So what is this sick feeling I have? Why is my stomach churning, and why is my throat so tight?

Human emotions are terrible.

Demons... We don't get this at all.

* * *

**We'll leave it at that. **

**Hopefully I will be able to update my other story as well... I know some people have been waiting for an update for a while. Totally my fault for not keeping up with it.**

**School has started and I'm already getting tons of work. My mind is going to be occupied with that, as well as my time, so I will not be able to update as quickly (even though this update took forever). I hope you understand!**

**Right then... Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following! It means a lot!**


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